852
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[ Canto 3, Ch. 21 ]
forests to practice the killing art because without such practice they would not be able to kill the undesirable elements.  Kṣatriyas  are allowed to commit violence in that way because violence for a good purpose is a part of their duty. Here two terms are clearly mentioned:  vadhāya , for the purpose of killing, and  asatām , those who are undesirable. The protecting energy of the king is supposed to be the energy of the Supreme Lord. In  Bhagavad-gītā  (Bg. 4.8) the Lord says,  paritrāṇāya sādhūnām vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām . The Lord descends to give protection to the pious and to kill the demons. The potency, therefore, to give protection to the pious and to kill the demons or undesirables is directly an energy from the Supreme Lord, and the king or the chief executive of the state is supposed to possess such energy. In this age it is very difficult to find such a head of state who is expert in killing the undesirables. Modern heads of state sit very nicely in their palaces and try without reason to kill innocent persons.
TEXT 51
योऽकेन्द्रग्रीन्द्रवायुनां यमधर्मप्रचेतसाम् । 
    रूपाणि स्थान आधत्से तस्मै शुक्लाय ते नमः ॥५१॥
yo 'rkendv-agnīndra-vāyūnām 
    yama-dharma-pracetasām 
    rūpāṇi sthāna ādhatse 
    tasmai śuklāya te namaḥ
yaḥ—you who; arka—of the sun; indu—of the moon; agni—of Agni, the fire-god; indra—of Indra, the lord of heaven; vāyūnām—of Vāyu, the wind-god; yama—of Yama, the god of punishment; dharma—of Dharma, the god of piety; pracetasām—and of Varuṇa, the god of the waters; rūpāṇi—the forms; sthāne—when necessary; ādhatse—you assume; tasmai—unto Him; śuklāya—unto Lord Viṣṇu; te—unto you; namaḥ—obeisances.
TRANSLATION
You assume, when necessary, the part of the sun-god; the moon-god; Agni, the god of fire; Indra, the lord of paradise; Vāyu, the wind-god; Yama, the god of punishment; Dharma, the god of piety; and Varuṇa, the god presiding over the waters. All obeisances to you, who are none other than Lord Viṣṇu!